It is common practice to mold automotive interior door trim panels of a thermoplastic material and with an integral pocket for the storage of items such as maps and other small goods for the convenience of the passenger seated next thereto. In the design of the pocket, the outer corner edge of the pocket is typically provided with a radius for a smooth comfortable feel but the inner corner edge may not be as that can present a problem in leaving the pocket edge with a completely smooth surface as molded. When only a front corner edge radius is provided, the parting line is located at the back side of the pocket wall and thus at the back corner edge of the pocket. The rear corner edge is left without a radius at the parting line to allow release of the panel from the mold, and while this results in a relatively sharp rear corner edge on the pocket, there is thus no parting line with possible flash and a parting line mark or ridge between the rounded front corner edge and the rear corner edge over the full wall thickness of the pocket. This front corner radius can extend from the front side of the pocket wall to the rear side and is used to advantage to make the pocket edge appear to have more bulk than the actual wall thickness for styling purposes. But the inner corner edge without a radius can be felt in a disturbing manner by a person's finger tips when retrieving an item in the pocket and the present invention is directed to eliminating this problem.
The inner corner edge as well as the outer corner edge of the pocket can be molded with a radius but this requires that the parting line in the mold be located between the two rounded corner edges. As a result, flash can occur along a line between the smooth corner edges and/or there may be left a distinct parting mark or ridge at this location that disrupts the pocket edge surface. And the thickness of the pocket edge may or may not be increased with respect to the nominal wall thickness to add bulk for strength as well as styling appearance. However, there is a limit as to the increased thickness that can be provided at the edge of the pocket because of warpage caused by shrinkage of the injected molten thermoplastic material on cooling.
Furthermore, the edge of the pocket may be flared for styling purposes at one or both ends where the pocket edge joins with the main body of the panel. And this presents a problem in attempting to add a large fully rounded edge in a supplementary way between these flared portions without adversely detracting from the integrity of the pocket edge where it starts to flare. The design goal is to minimize modifications of the molded pocket to enhance its edge at least in balance with the value of the advantages gained.